Robert Jenkins is a professor of mechanical engineering. He is an expert in energy utilization, hydrocarbon fuels, air pollution, and powdered and porous materials. A native of Wales, Jenkins earned undergraduate and doctoral degrees in fuel science from the University of Leeds, England. He began his career at Penn State University , and subsequently moved to the University of Cincinnati. There he held several positions, including associate dean for research in the College of Engineering, interim dean of that College. He served as Dean of UVM's College of Engineering & Mathematics from 1998 until 2005. He is a past Chair of the American Chemical Society's Fuel Chemistry Division.